The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus for cleaning roller-type paint applicators and the like.
The use of roller-type applicators for applying paint is very popular because of the desirable coating characteristics achieved by such paint rollers. However, these paint rollers are difficult to clean and the need for a device to effectively remove paint from these rollers is evidenced by the large number of patents directed to removing paint from rollers. Effective cleaning of a paint roller depends upon the dilution and removal of paint which has been absorbed into the fabric of the paint roller.
It is well known that a paint roller may be hand-washed in a large excess of cleaning fluid. Generally, the cleaning fluid can be water if the paint to be removed is a water based paint or it can be another solvent if the paint has a solvent base other than water. While hand-washing of a paint roller may remove surface paint on the roller, such washing does not efficiently remove paint or other deposits deep down in the fabric of the roller. In fact, conventional means of flushing water over the fabric cover externally causes paint to be flushed deep into the cover, thereby never really cleaning the cover throughout.
Prior devices for cleaning paint rollers have generally provided means for directing a flow of paint solvent at, around, and/or through the fabric of a paint roller. One such cleaning device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,699. The cleaning device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,699 generally comprises an annular sleeve adapted to have an interference fit with a pad on a roller of a paint roller. This roller cleaning device includes liquid passage means within the annular sleeve with liquid outlet means communicating with the liquid passage means on the inner surface of the annular sleeve. The cleaning device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,699 requires that the annular sleeve have an interference fit with the pad on the paint roller in order to achieve effective cleaning of the paint roller. Thus, this known roller cleaning device will achieve maximum cleaning efficiency only for paint rollers having a particular diameter. The cleaning device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,699 will not provide efficient cleaning of paint rollers of varying diameters. In addition, in this known cleaning device, the cleaning solvent is applied to the outer surface of the roller through an annular slot disposed circumferentially about the inner surface of the annular sleeve of the cleaning device. Application of the cleaning solvent to the outer surface of the paint roller may cause paint on the roller to penetrate deeper into the fabric of the roller. In order to remove paint below the surface of the roller fabric, U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,699 provides a plurality of additional scrubber elements positioned circumferentially along the inner surface of the annular sleeve below the annular liquid outlet slot.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning apparatus for paint rollers and the like which does not suffer from the disadvantages of prior cleaning devices.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning apparatus which is adapted to effectively clean paint rollers of varying sizes.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a cleaning device which directs cleaning solvent below the surface of the paint roller.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cleaning device which can be readily connected to any of a number of types of cleaning fluids supplies.
Still another object of the present device is to provide a cleaning device which can be easily manufactured.